F-Zero: Maximum Velocity

A version of F-Zero for the Game Boy Advance, which is quite possibly
the most entertaining racing game ever released for a handheld platform.
(S.T.U.N. Runner for the Lynx is not without its charm.) Much like the
original F-Zero showed off the Mode 7 capability of the SNES, F-Zero:
Maximum Velocity makes extensive use of hardware scaling. Result: the
graphics are impossibly smooth. Even with several vehicles on screen, there is
absolutely no slowdown.

The premise is the same as in most F-Zero versions: race around a track five
times, and try to win. After the first lap, you must be in 15th place or
better to continue. After the second, the limit drops to 10th place; the
third, 7th place; the fourth, 5th place; and you must finish the race in third
place or better to move on to the next track. Each circuit (Pawn,
Knight, and Bishop, for starters) has five tracks. If you crash, rank
out, or give up, you lose a spare machine. Lose all (one|three|five)
of your machines, and it's Game Over. Prevent crashing by powering up
every lap.

Tracks are very imaginatively done, although they are entirely different
from the ones in the SNES and Nintendo 64 game. There is no remix of the
famous Mute CityBGM, but the music is generally decent. The engine noise
sounds about as realistic as you can get for a fictional car, and various
bleeps and bloops signal warnings and events in-race. The Game Boy
Advance's wider screen is put to its fullest use.

F-Zero X had excellent replay value because additional cars and tracks
could be unlocked after completing certain tasks. While the Game Boy Advance
game does not have the enormous array of cars that F-Zero X did, there are a few
hidden cars that can be unlocked. After beating a circuit on Beginner,
Standard, and Expert levels, the Master level becomes available. After
beating the Pawn, Knight and Bishop circuits, the Championship track and the Queen circuit become
available. The factory default best time for the Championship track is ridiculously low,
so you will need to use expert maneuvers to navigate it. (I have only had
this game for less than a week, so I have not yet unlocked everything.)

Lastly, F-Zero: Maximum Velocity has multiplayer mode. If you're the only
one who owns the cartridge but all your buddies have link cables, you can
play the single-pak multiplayer version. This is limited to just one track
with one car. If your buddies all have link cables and game cartridges, you
can play in multi-pak multiplayer. This allows the use of all available
tracks and vehicles. Up to four Game Boy Advances can be linked. The link
cable may also be used to synchronize personal records between
cartridges.

If you loved the SNES version of F-Zero, and are considering getting a Game
Boy Advance, this is your killer app. Enjoy, and happy racing!